


spell-binding

by bk119



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Bees, Drama, Eye Contact, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gazing, Gryffindor, Happy, Hogwarts, Hufflepuff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Pining, Puberty, Quidditch, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, as they get older they curse a lot, but overall happy ending, cursing, harry potter spn au, it's really only slight, just two idiots falling in love, mature rating will make sense in the later chapters, mild angst in the future, tags to come, teenage boys, there's a lot of that here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21798013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bk119/pseuds/bk119
Summary: in which dean and castiel are wizards, their friends and family know that the two have been gone on each other since day one, and slowly, over the course of seven years, the two of them learn to love themselves, each other, and their lives, properly.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury/Alice, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Ellen Harvelle/Bobby Singer
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	1. first year

**Author's Note:**

> this will have a small amount of smut-like aspects to it, because they are teenage boys with hormones. nothing too major. just a heads up!
> 
> 1\. there will be inaccuracies, but i am doing my fair share of research because i haven't read the books since i was 15 and i'm 20 now, and the movies only tell you so much. 
> 
> side note: after writing this for five chapters, i've started just taking liberties with both universes and making them my own. sorry if that isn't your cup of tea. 
> 
> enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dean and castiel arrive at hogwarts. it's go-time, baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i ended up putting together the first two chapters of this fic! so, year one is together now.

Dean Winchester is _not_ scared. He _isn’t_. It isn’t like he hasn’t been away from Sammy’s side since he started taking care of his younger brother when he was five. However, this time, it’s more permanent. He’s leaving Blackpool to attend the magical school of Hogwarts, away from his home, his brother, and the aunt and uncle that he has called family since his parents died. 

He is packed two days before they need to arrive at Platform 9 and ¾, and has been anxiously bouncing up and down in his eleven-year-old way since then, getting more and more jittery the closer it came to departure. 

Walking into King’s Cross, Dean grabs his younger brother’s hand. The minute he sees the Hogwarts Express, he freezes up and felt his hand go clammy. The nine-year old smiled knowingly and patted his brother’s arm, and said, “I’ll be fine, Dean. Go and learn something.” Dean relaxed automatically, and hugged his younger brother, Bobby, and Ellen goodbye. He takes a seat by the window in a car where there is only one other boy, and waves goodbye to his family as he begins his new adventure in a new place. 

\----

The day Castiel Milton is to go to Hogwarts with the rest of his brothers (only his younger sister, Anna, the only one ready, is left behind now), his older brothers are at it again. He looks around at the mess that is his family: Gabriel is in the process of making everyone’s clothes disappear (without magic, seeing as students weren’t allowed to use magic outside of school), Michael is yelling at everyone to get into the car, Lucifer is nowhere to be seen but there is a suspicious odor coming from the basement, and Balthazar is upstairs, busy trying to make himself “pretty” for the next girl he’s going to try to “conquer” on the train. 

They finally make it across town to King’s Cross, and Castiel feels his excitement mounting as the famous Hogwarts Express looms in front of him. He and his brothers hug Anna and their mother before leaving for the train, and Castiel picks the nearest unoccupied car to sit and munch on the sandwich his mother had prepared for him. He has no idea where the rest of his brothers are but is sure that within the time it takes to get to Hogwarts, something will go awry. Until then, he settles back and enjoys the landscape pass by in front of him.

It takes him nearly an hour to properly notice that there is now someone in the car with him, and does a double take. A boy, obviously a first-year like him judging from his shaking legs, has settled by the window and is gripping an amulet of sorts in his hands, and has his eyes closed. 

Castiel is not the social type, has never been, but something in him nudges him to ask the other boy, “Are you alright?”

The boy opens his eyes, and looks up. Holy _shit_ (listen, he has four older brothers) his eyes are green. Even more green than anything Castiel has seen in his life, including freshly mowed and watered grass. 

The green-eyed boy seems taken aback for a minute before nodding, his voice rough from disuse (or from holding back tears, Castiel does not know) when he responds, “Yes.”

Castiel nods back. He doesn’t know how to proceed from there, but he doesn’t need to because suddenly the door opens and a redheaded girl bounces in. 

And boy, she is _full of energy_ . In the next ten minutes, Castiel finds out that her name is Charlie, she is a first-year, she _loves_ reading, and thinks girls are cute. She also reminds both of them that they need to change into robes before arriving at Hogwarts, which Castiel is glad for because he nearly forgot. 

“Oh, by the way, what are your names?” She asks, and Castiel volunteers first because he already feels comfortable around this girl.

“I’m Castiel Milton.” 

“I’m Dean Winchester.” the green-eyed boy says, and he lets out a tentative smile. Charlie moves over next to Dean and gives him a side hug. 

“There’s no need to be nervous, Dean! Once we get in, we’ll process into the Great Hall and get sorted, and then Professor Hanscum will give the opening speech, and then we have the feast! Lots of food! And everyone will mingle!”

Dean looks a lot less nervous now that Charlie is talking his ear off directly, and Castiel can’t help but smile at the two of them. Dean must catch his smile, because he smiles back at him, and Castiel feels his heart flutter a little. 

Oh, _shit._

\---

Dean has never found blue eyes attractive, hell, he has never found a _boy_ attractive. He had a small crush on a girl in his primary school, but that is it. 

And now Castiel comes into his life, and suddenly his _heart_ is fluttering and his palms are sweating, and he is ever so thankful that Charlie Bradbury comes into the car because she is talking their ears off a mile a minute, and he can focus on her and not on the (very) pretty boy across from him. 

They change into robes once someone announces they are almost at Hogwarts, and there are furtive glances between the two boys, and slight reddening cheeks, and Dean resolves to push this feeling down. He thinks there is a friend in Castiel, even though the two have barely exchanged words, and he doesn’t want to ruin it. He thinks about what his father used to say - _nobody is permanent_ \- and decides that there is nothing but friendship that will be useful between the two of them, and that is that. 

The three of them walk with the rest of the first years to the Great Hall, and wait. The doors open, and then, their new life begins. 

\---

Castiel is in Hufflepuff, and he figured judging from what his brothers had told him about the four houses. Dean is in Gryffindor, which interests him (amongst other things about the boy), and Charlie is in Ravenclaw. Castiel doesn’t let it bother him too much that none of his new friends are in his house, because Gabriel is in Hufflepuff, and he knows he can spend time with them in common areas around the castle. 

The more he looks at Dean, the more he notices. The way his freckles stick out against his pale-ish skin, the way he gets to be more and more confident as he gets more comfortable in his surroundings, and the way he sits, slightly slouched but still with a confident aura. There is _something_ about this boy that intrigues him, and Castiel cannot pin it on just what quite yet.

\---

First years are required to take seven courses, of which four Dean shares with Castiel. They sit next to each other in Potions and try not to blow things up, help each other in flying lessons, discuss the stars in Astronomy, and talk about their latest teacher in Defense Against the Dark Arts. It is known that the teacher for that class changes almost yearly, because most professors cannot stand staying for more than a full school year. 

And in each of those classes, Castiel notices how Dean’s eyes look from the glances he manages, and marvels at how smart the green-eyed boy is. Charlie is right there beside them, taking notes meticulously and answering every question the teachers have, but Castiel notices Dean. Dean also takes notes, and listens diligently, but his attentiveness differs between classes. Whereas Charlie obviously loves _all_ of their classes, Dean favors Astronomy, Potions, and flying lessons. Castiel has made his mind up on that from what one enjoys, a lot can be told about that person, and he finds himself learning more and more about Dean every day. 

Whether it is in class, at mealtime, or in between classes, the two of them talk, _a lot_. Once Dean had gotten over his homesickness or nervousness or whatever he was going through on the train, Castiel realizes that this boy is going to be his best friend. The two of them have much in common, even though Dean grew up in a non-wizard environment, and Castiel grew up with magic apparent in every facet in his household. 

They walk around the grounds together, talking about a novel by whatever author they have in common, or discussing their favorite constellation. Castiel offers bits and pieces of his childhood, and Dean does too, eventually. 

Castiel learns that Dean’s parents died in a house fire, and he was left to take care of his younger brother, Sam (or “Sammy” as Dean affectionately calls him), when he was five and Sammy three. His parents’ best friends, Bobby and Ellen, took them in, and raised them ever since. He has one friend/sister named Jo, an eight year old who is annoying but Dean loves fiercely. Castiel gives Dean the biggest hug he has ever given anyone at this, because from the way Dean’s shoulders hunched over and he avoided eye contact with Castiel, he knew that this was a hard topic. 

He tells Dean about his childhood, growing up as the second to youngest, always being made fun of for being the bookworm who never participated in family events or jokes. He shares about his diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, something that in primary school was called a “quirk” and taken advantage of by others. 

It’s in their second month at Hogwarts that he tells Dean that he feels that he is closer to him than anyone else other than his younger sister, and is given a hug by the other boy. 

“Me too. Sammy’s always been my only friend other than Jo, and now I have you and Charlie.”

Castiel feels himself beam at that, and Dean responds in kind, which, if Castiel is honest, makes his heart flutter just a _little bit_. 

\---

It’s right before Christmas break, and Dean, Charlie, and Castiel, or Cas as Dean has started calling him, are hugging goodbye on Platform 9 and ¾. It’s a heartfelt “see you later”, seeing as Charlie lives in London, as does Castiel, but Dean is on his five hour journey back to Blackpool for a month before returning for the second part of the year at Hogwarts. 

He feels his heart pounding as he separates from Cas, and finds himself gripping his best friend’s hand. He cannot tell why he feels so nervous, but Cas knows. 

Cas gives him a heartfelt smile, one that reassures Dean, and he whispers, “I’ll see you soon. Don’t worry.”

Dean grins, and hugs his two best friends quickly before going and pretending to scoop up Sammy. 

He introduces his friends to his family, and Bobby gruffly shakes the two’s hands before saying, “Thanks for taking care of this idjit.” He eyes the blue-eyed boy and gives his best impression of a tough father, but Ellen nudges him and he grins a little, instead. His American southern accent is still prominent even after fifteen years living in Blackpool with Ellen, and Charlie hugs him right away. 

“I love your accent! It’s so cool! I want to hear all about it another time. See you soon, Dean!” she says, before slipping away to see her brother and parents. 

Dean and Cas are left alone, and they smile at each other again. They can't see it, but Bobby and Ellen roll their eyes and Sammy stifles a giggle. 

“It’s only for four weeks, Dean. I am sure things will be okay.”

With that, both of their families leave, with promises to stay in contact and send letters to each other and to talk on the telephone. 

\---

The two of them have endless topics to discuss when they arrive back on the Hogwarts Express in January, even though they had been keeping in contact nearly every day. Charlie is back with them in the same car, eating chocolate covered frogs and talking about the books she finished during break. 

Their first class back is Astronomy, and Charlie is not with them. Castiel is tremendously excited to try out his newfound knowledge that he obtained at the Royal Observatory in London over break, and as Dean tells him, he is just happy because this is his favorite subject. Over the course of the first few weeks, Castiel notices that Dean has become even more tactile with his body language than before, and he realizes that this is a sign that the green-eyed boy is truly trusting him. 

Castiel’s newfound love is bees, which originated because of a visit to an apiary outside of London that his mother had convinced his father to take him on during winter break. He’ll talk Dean’s ear off about the different types of bees, the locations, and how to save them, and Dean finds himself just watching his best friend happily as he talks nonstop about them.

Then it’s Dean’s twelfth birthday, on January 24th, and Castiel manages to get Gabriel to buy something for him from Hogsmeade, because one cannot go to Hogsmeade before their third year. He gives it to Dean on the day and watches as his freckles become illuminated as a pale pink dusting appears on his cheeks and he hugs Castiel closely. 

The two of them sneak out that night and sit on the grounds after hours, hoping that nobody catches them, and somehow nobody does. They lay back on the blanket that Castiel procured and munch on chocolates and hot cocoa, and tell stories about the world above them, of what caused the stars to form into the constellations they are a part of, and whatnot. It is one of the best days in Castiel’s life, and judging from how Dean gazes at him afterwards as they part before going into their respective common rooms, it is for him too. 

\---

Dean did not realize that someone could wedge their way into his heart as deeply as Sammy has, until Cas came along. He knows he’s only twelve, but something about the quirks that his best friend has is so adorable that his heart clenches and he can’t help but smile. The little things that he does, such as the way Cas tilts his head when he doesn’t understand something that is basic knowledge to someone who has been living in human society for so long, is endearing. The way Cas seems to see into his soul, however, is slightly unnerving, because it causes the butterflies that Dean tries to desperately to keep down to come right back up. 

It’s their third time sneaking out of the castle when Gabriel catches them, and he nearly shits himself laughing (his words, not Dean’s) when he sees their scared faces. He assures them that as long as they don’t get caught, they can do pretty much whatever, but Dean and Castiel stop doing that for a while because they’re afraid of getting kicked out and getting sent a Howler by their families (well, mainly Castiel’s). 

And then Valentine’s Day hits. It’s a big thing, with the Great Hall being decorated in pink and purple and hearts galore, and people flirting with others, and Charlie, Dean, and Cas are doing homework. The three of them are giggling in the library, and Dean’s secretly eating a sandwich that Cas got for him with Gabriel’s help. 

Gabriel and Cas’ dynamic is an interesting one, which is where Gabriel teases him but yet helps his younger brother with anything he needs. Michael and Balthazar are off doing their own thing, Dean and Cas never cross paths with them, but at least once a day Gabriel pops in and says hi. Where he appears from, Dean still has no idea. 

They spend the majority of their days going to class and eating in the Great Hall, and Castiel makes it a point to be outside of the Gryffindor Tower’s entrance waiting for Dean every morning. He’s diligent in all he does, and Dean admires him for that. Sometimes they mix it up and go watch the Quidditch games, unsure who to root for if it isn’t their houses playing. Charlie joins them most days, and the three of them laugh and study the days away together. 

Easter Break comes around, and the three of them parts ways once again, but this time, Dean goes to Castiel’s with Bobby, Ellen, Sam, and Jo in tow. The Winchester/Singer/Harvell four, along with the Milton seven sit around the table at Easter and eat heartily, sharing jokes and just overall happiness. 

And slowly but surely, Dean and Cas get closer and closer. Dean knows he can trust Cas with anything, and vice versa, and the two of them spend almost all their free time together minus sleeping and certain classes. 

They whisper secrets to each other, Dean’s mainly about how sometimes he thinks that he could have done something more for his parents in their house fire, and Castiel holds him as he cries silently because this is something that he has never gotten over. 

Cas tells him about how he has always felt like an outcast and how before he came to Hogwarts, he had been thinking about running away to go somewhere, because he does not feel at home in the rich posh area of London he lives in. They hold each other and watch the stars, and that’s how they spend the rest of the spring term after Easter. 

Of course the two of them ace their first year exams, mostly because Charlie coaches them through their subjects and the three of them study diligently in the library and anywhere they can. It's their first exams in their lives, really, so they want to do really well.

Once it’s time to go back home for summer break, the two of them are truly inseparable. Charlie has found a girl named Alice with whom she hangs out all the time, and Dean has become good friends with her too, as has Castiel. The four of them make plans to see each other over break, and they spend the ride home on the Hogwarts Express talking excitedly, Charlie and Alice next to each other on one side, Cas and Dean on the other.

It’s a big group hug at King’s Cross, and by the time Dean has reached home, Cas is already calling him, informing him of how his bees are doing in the beehive his mother built while he was at Hogwarts as a welcome home gift. 


	2. second year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's their second year at hogwarts, and dean starts to realize some things. the same things that cas is pushing back, however. 
> 
> peep the direct future harry potter references in here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so there's inaccuracies but honestly i cranked this out in two hours so i am really proud of myself. it's long but it's good to me, and i hope you enjoy!

Three months is entirely too long to go without seeing his best friends, Dean decides as they arrive in Diagon Alley. Specifically, Cas. 

They had talked on the phone every day (to the point where Bobby threatened to shut off the landline in order to keep the bill from getting any higher), but they had been unable to meet up during the summer. Cas had spent his summer break in the Hebrides region of Scotland, specifically Isle of Sky, studying their national honeybees, while Dean spent his under his father’s car, a ‘67 Chevy, working on repairing it as he had done every summer since he was five. He also spent two weeks watching over Sammy as Ellen and Bobby took a well-needed break, and grew closer than ever to his little brother. 

It was a nice reminder to him of how fiercely loyal he is to family. To Sammy, his little brother, the one he’s essentially raised since he was five. Dean cares about Cas and Charlie, Jo, and Bobby and Ellen, but Sammy’s his blood and one of his only true accomplishments. 

Anyway, back to Diagon Alley. Dean’s anxiously awaiting his best friend’s arrival when suddenly there are a pair of arms around him from behind and he knows, without having to turn around, that it’s Cas. He spins around and pulls the dark haired boy into his arms and hugs him tightly.

“I missed you!”

Cas laughs, smoothing out his shirt. Of  _ course  _ he’s wearing a proper polo shirt and khakis; he is never anything but meticulously dressed, just as his schoolwork. His blue eyes glisten with happiness, and Dean feels his heart pitter-patter. 

(Shut up, heart.)

“Dean, we talked on the phone yesterday.” He then smiles sheepishly. “I missed you too though.” 

With that, they head on to Diagon Alley. They pick up their books needed for that school year, including  [ _ The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 _ ](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/The_Standard_Book_of_Spells,_Grade_2) by  [ Miranda Goshawk ](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Miranda_Goshawk) . _ Gringotts Wizarding Bank _ helps them obtain some spending money, and as they walk past  _ Ollivander’s  _ Dean, Charlie, and Cas all grin as they remember when they had to go in and get their first wands. Their final stop is  _ Eeylops Owl Emporium _ , because Dean’s pet rat died suddenly over the summer and he decided that he needed an owl instead, specifically a brown owl. 

Charlie parts ways with the two boys with promises to arrive at 10 o’clock sharp for their 11 o’clock train to Hogwarts the following morning. Dean and his family are staying over at Castiel’s so that they don’t need to make an eight hour round trip to and from London, and before they know it, September 1st is upon them. 

“The difference is, with second years, we get to ride in with the carriages from Hogsmeade Station!” Charlie explains to them excitedly as Dean, Cas, Alice, and she occupy a car on the Hogwarts Express. Dean and Cas share an amused look, simply because their best friend is, once again, ahead of everyone. “The best part is, only certain people can see the thestrals that bring us! I wonder who’s going to be able to see them!”

The seven hour train ride gets them to Hogsmeade at dusk, and the students pile into the carriages. Unsurprisingly, all but two of the students see the carriages as autonomous, and Dean is one of the two. He stares in wonder at the majestic creatures, their wings flapping as they pull the kids to the castle, and Cas and Charlie both ask him to describe their wings. The only words he can use are “leathery” and “slightly gray”, and Charlie just tsks at him and mutters something about boys not being eloquent enough. Cas pats his arm and says he’s going to look them up one day in the library, and Dean shouldn’t worry. Dean  _ wasn’t _ going to worry in the first place, but he squeezes Cas’ arm gratefully.

Pretty soon, the group arrives at Hogwarts, and they all go to their dorms before arriving at the Great Hall for the welcome feast, as well as Professor Hanscum’s annual speech that marks the opening of the school year. Dean, Cas, and everyone else stuff themselves full, and meet a few new kids that they hadn’t noticed last year, including Adam and Kevin. 

Thus starts their second year at Hogwarts. 

\---

Castiel isn’t surprised when Dean announces he’s going to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but he isn’t altogether happy about it either. He knows that Dean grew at least five inches over the summer, and he’s much taller than him, but Cas  _ worries _ , okay. 

Wow, he sounds like his mum. 

Quidditch trials are the Friday after the welcome feast, and Dean spends every moment that week preparing as Cas and Charlie get their books and notes together for the classes that start the following week. 

Dean makes Cas promise to come watch him. “Cas, you  _ know  _ I do my best when you’re there for me to impress, damn it! Please?” Cas notices that he turns pink for a minute after saying those words, but ignores that. 

Those green eyes will be the end of him, Cas thinks to himself, but as usual, he finds himself agreeing. 

Cas didn’t know that this meant he had to be up at five o’clock in the morning before the sun had even come up, watching his best friend fly around proving himself to the captain of the team, Bela Talbot. He sits there, shivering in his robes, Charlie next to him, and he wonders how he got to this spot, but he still cheers Dean on from the sidelines, and the green eyed boy flashes a quick smile at him on one of his passes near the ground. 

Dean ends up as the seeker on the team, one of the most selective positions, with Adam and a new girl named Katie making chaser. Cas is proud of his best friend as he rambles up to Charlie and him, gripping his broomstick and grinning. 

“Congrats, Dean! Just try not to end up in the infirmary, okay?” Charlie says, giving Dean a quick hug before departing the other two. “I have to go meet Alice for breakfast, but I’ll see you two soon!”

Dean’s eyes settle on Cas, and Cas gives his best friend a big hug. “I’m proud of you, too. Just please don’t end up in the hospital wing, I don’t think I could deal with that.”

“I won’t, Cas.” The two of them head towards the Great Hall. “Well, statistically, I might, but I’ll try not to.” He grins at the frustrated look on Cas’ face, and Cas swats at him. He doesn’t think he can deal with seeing another one of his favorite people get hurt, thank you very much. 

Dean must be aware of what is going through his brain, because he grabs his arm and says, seriously. “I’ll try my best.”

As Cas smiles gratefully, Dean’s face brightens, and the two of them head towards breakfast in silence, both grinning for different reasons. 

\---

Classes start, and before Dean knows it it’s September 18th, Cas’ birthday. Charlie lets Dean into the Ravenclaw tower at six o’clock on the dot, and they proceed to throw themselves on Cas’ single singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in unison, although quite off key. 

“Come on, Cas, wake up! You’re a teenager now!” Dean exclaims, and Cas’ roommate Josh shushes them before grumbling about loud kids and walking into the common room. Cas pretends to be angry, but Dean can see the twinkle in his eyes, and it makes the early morning and skipping of Quidditch practice well worth it. There’s not much that they can do, seeing as they have classes, but after their last class together, which is Potions, Dean takes Cas to the lake near the Forbidden Forest, and they have a small picnic together, just the two of them. 

Altogether, it’s a wonderful day, and Dean goes to bed with a smile on his face and a proud feeling that he had fulfilled his duties as a best friend. And maybe his heart is fluttering a little at the reminder of just how bright Cas’ blue eyes were and just how widely he smiled when Dean brought out the chocolate cake that had a badly drawn bee on it that said “Bee happy!”, but that’s a totally different topic. 

\---

This year, Cas shares four classes with Dean, of which he favors Herbology and Dean loves Astronomy, and they both abhor Potions, with Professor Lucifer. In the first half of the year in Potions, they make a Fire Protection potion, a Strengthening potion, and a Sleeping potion, but the last one goes horribly wrong with Rachel in the corner and half the class is put to sleep. Cas and Dean find the entire thing hysterical, and the two of them giggle about it for weeks at end, remembering how angry Lucifer was at the students sleeping and the inability for second years to “correctly process information! After all, it’s not like it’s that hard!” 

(Plot twist, Professor Lucifer, it  _ is _ .) 

Herbology is Castiel’s favorite class because he loves to take care of the earth and all its creatures. Mandrakes are a challenge, but Cas masters them in no time and Professor Longbottom praises him. Cas catches Dean’s eye, and Dean’s wearing a proud smile that makes Cas want to puff out his chest and grin widely. 

Charms, however, is Dean’s favorite class. Castiel knows he also loves Astrology, but Dean seems to possess a certain affinity for charms that even Professor Flitwick is amazed at. Within no time, he masters the basic charms and manages to even look into third year’s charms before he’s stopped by Flitwick. 

However, before long, it’s November, and Charlie is already talking their ear off about the new classes they’re going to have to choose at the end of the year. Between classes, Quidditch practice and games, quiet moments together in the library, and lots and lots of food, there’s barely a moment’s notice before the annual Christmas feast comes around. 

This year, the Yule Ball is announced as a special event. With that, the weather predicts that there is going to be a foot of snow coming. Early on, Cas decides that he’s going to take Dean as his, of course, platonic partner. Charlie is taking Alice, so why shouldn’t he take Dean?

(He knows that this is the dance where it’s girlfriends, and boyfriends, and other significant others that pair up and go together, but he figures that with how Dean and he spend all their time together, they should go and enjoy it.)

Cas asks Dean in the midst of changing classes to go to Charms, and Dean is taken aback for a moment before responding positively. 

“Of course, let’s go! Lots of food and pretty people to see. Besides, it’ll be a fun night with my best friend.” Dean says with a grin, but his eyes hold something back that Cas does not have the time to unravel at the moment. 

\---

Just as predicted, the first snow comes the day of the Yule Ball. Everyone has been antsy in class, ready for the big party at night. Dean’s not the biggest fan of alcohol, so he and Cas made a pact to stay away from the firewhiskey that Gabe is bringing around, and to mostly keep to themselves. 

That afternoon before their classes, he notices a group of Slytherin fourth years pointing and laughing at Castiel. Cas is doing his normal thing, balancing a shit ton of books, his uniform in perfect order, nothing in disarray, and Dean’s pissed. He has a feeling that this isn’t the first time that this has happened, but he can’t begin to ponder on why Cas hasn’t told him about these idiots.

He storms up to them, realizing suddenly that he’s about as tall as them already, and is up in the faces as he asks, “What are you idiots laughing at?” 

They don’t stop laughing, and go, “Your little friend over there. He’s such a  _ nerd _ .” 

Dean sees red and is prepared to defend his best friend’s honor when suddenly Castiel is there and dragging him away. 

“Dean, they aren’t worth it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demands, and Cas shrugs. Dean notices that he’s shifted all his books into one arm, because of  _ course  _ the boy would carry all his books for all his classes around. He takes Cas’ Charms and History of Magic textbooks, and shoved them under his own arm. 

“It does not bother me,” the older boy (by four months!) admits, and Dean still does not get it. “I have been teased my entire life, so I just ignore those kinds of people.”

Dean suddenly feels bad, but he is still ready to defend his best friend’s honor. “Cas, if those guys bother you, you have to tell me. I won’t let them do this to you.”

Cas looks at him inquisitively, with that peculiar but endearing head tilt that he does. “But why, Dean? It is just words, words that have no particular impact on me overall.”

“I guess it’s just because… you’re you and I want to make sure you’re… I don’t know… happy.”

Cas nudges Dean’s arm, and the two of them proceed to walk down the corridor to their next class. “Thank you, Dean, but I have all I need to be happy right here and for the foreseeable future. No older assbutts will hurt me when I have you.” 

The two of them smile at each other and refuse to break eye contact until Cas stumbles on his shoelace, and they burst into laughter. 

(Dean’s not done dealing with those idiots yet, but Cas doesn’t need to know that.)

\---

The Yule Ball is beautiful. Everyone is dressed up in their dress robes, dancing and eating the night away, and Dean and him sit in the corner with Charlie and Alice as they talk about the couples that are the most popular and well known in the school, as well as stuff their faces with the food the elves in the kitchen have made. 

The four of them leave the ball early with food wrapped in napkins stuffed in their pockets, giggling the entire way, and fall asleep, stuffed, in front of the fireplace in the library. 

It’s the perfect night to those twelve and thirteen year olds, and nothing could make any of them happier.

\---

Christmas and break comes and goes, with Dean helping Bobby with his mechanic business and keeping in touch with Cas every day. 

It’s their first day back, and Charlie, Cas, and Dean stumble upon a large man who must be the famous Hagrid. He grins down at them, looming above them by several feet, and says in a booming voice, “Yer three remind me of a group of friends I watched grow up, very well.” 

(They know he’s talking about Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and Charlie blushes head to toe in her excitement because she’s only loved Hermione since she was young and has admired her bravery for years, as both Dean and Cas have heard plenty times before.

\---

And then it’s Dean’s birthday, January 24th. Cas has a special breakfast prepared from the elves he’s befriended in his free time down in the kitchen, as the loyal Hufflepuff he is, and surprises Dean in his bed with his favorite, bacon and eggs, with a side of every possible side one can procure. As Dean gets older, his appetite for all things bacon seems to get bigger and bigger, and Cas is only happy to satisfy his best friend’s need for the food. 

The rest of the day is filled with classes and a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Charlie’s all up in Dean’s face, playfully of course, and the match goes smoothly, Gryffindor winning by a landslide. 

Dean says, good-naturedly, “Maybe you should stick to the books, Char!” and Charlie proceeds to punch him, but the two of them are laughing, and Cas is watching in amusement. He loves his best friends, and he loves watching them be happy together. 

Dean then comes up to Cas. “Hey, I’m going to shower, then I’m all yours, alright?”

Cas ignores, for the millionth time, how his heart flutters when Dean says that, and replies in agreement. “See you at our spot?”

Dean nods. “See you in twenty.” 

(They spend the rest of the night there and fall asleep while stargazing, Dean showing off the charms he learned with extra work from Flitwick, and Cas smiles at his best friend’s excitement at his favorite subject. 

There’s something lurking here, Cas can’t tell what exactly, and he’s determined to push it down until he can’t anymore, because what he has here is perfect, and he would never want to ruin it. 

\---

Once Valentine’s Day passes, Charlie makes them start preparing for their end of year exams, even though they’re in June, but Dean and Cas both know that if they don’t agree, they’ll be pestered about it until they go out of their minds. 

After the night that they spent together under the stars on his birthday, Dean has started examining himself. He realizes that this heart fluttering around Cas that he has must be something akin to a crush, but vows to push it down because Cas obviously does not feel anything of the same. Yeah, they have no personal space and their eye contact can be lengthy, they share secrets and spend all their time together, and they trust each other immensely, but Cas counts him as a part of his family. 

So Dean decides to push it down, and focus on cultivating his friendship even further with Cas, Charlie, and Alice, and the four of them become almost inseparable. Charlie confides in him that she realized that she really likes Alice, and Dean encourages her to ask her out, and then suddenly two out of the four of them are dating, and they’re  _ really fucking cute _ together. 

However, Dean focuses on schooling and Quidditch. He’s here to have a good education, to make Sammy and Bobby and Ellen proud, to make Cas look at him like he’s hung the stars whenever he outdoes himself in Charms and Astrology, and things are good. Things are really good.

Cas and him spend a lot of nights falling asleep next to each other, whether in the same bed or on the floor, and it’s a lot of awkward tangling of limbs in the morning and quiet laughter as they get ready for the day. It’s nice, sweet, and a good routine that Dean craves and knows he’s going to miss when he goes home for Easter, and the summer. 

\---

The time for Easter break soon approaches, and in a surprise, Charlie and Cas plan a surprise trip to Paris and invite Alice, Dean, and Sammy along, with the supervision of Charlie’s parents, of course. Bobby and Ellen agree, and Cas’ mother is okay with it, so the five of them spend a week in the city of love and it’s honestly one of the best weeks of Dean’s life. 

(Although Sammy keeps looking back and forth between him and Cas, his eyebrows raised, and Dean really hates it when his brother can read him like a book.)

That being said, once they go back to Hogwarts for their spring term, Dean is relaxed, happy, and ready to hit the books for once. 

Gryffindor wins a few more times, he spends way too much time thinking about what classes he wants to take next year, and Cas and him go to see Hagrid a few times, and get introduced to some new magical creatures. Dean knows he’s going to take Care of Magical Creatures next year for sure, and Cas agrees with him once he brings the topic up. Other than that, Dean is focusing on Muggle Studies, and Cas is taking Study of Ancient Ruins. Cas also decides to take on Arithmancy, but Dean sticks with two electives because he’s really progressing with his side classes with Flitwick in Charms, and he’s determined to do well in the courses he’s taking currently as well. 

Before long, the end of the term comes, and the exams start. It’s a stressful time, because the big match of the year between Gryffindor and Slytherin is also at the same time, but Dean thrives on stress and he loves to see Cas’ proud face, so he tries to do his very best, and ends up doing well in his courses and on the field. Cas is the same, acing all his courses, and of course Charlie ends up with the highest grades, seeing as she’s been studying since literally day one of class. 

Dean, however, hates goodbyes. He hates saying “see you later” to his best friends that he’s spent all year with, even though he knows he’s going to use up the minutes on his new cell phone within a week with the way Cas and him talk on the phone, and not getting to do magic or Charms every day is going to suck. However, he’s looking forward to seeing his family, especially spending time with Sammy as he now prepares to come to Hogwarts for his first year that September. 

As the four of them walk out of Hogwarts together, ready to face their summer without each other, Dean feels his heart grow ten sizes when they link arms and hop to the carriages. He knows that he’ll be back in a few months, with new adventures, his best friends, his small crush on Cas, and his little brother in tow, and he cannot wait. 


	3. third year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> these two are pining, hard. sam and anna come to hogwarts, there's an awkward moment, and lots of flirting and, like i said, pining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is when things get real, folks. it's full on pining and love-struck shit from here on out. and their friends being really tired of their dumb, if not oblivious, selves.
> 
> it may not be the best, because i am hungry and tired and i have to go work soon, but i'm hella proud of myself. 
> 
> enjoy x

Dean’s unsure whether Sam’s nervous, excited, or both. His little brother has been jumpy the entire train ride to London, and normally Dean would roll his eyes, but he’s also a little jumpy at the prospect of seeing Cas. They once again had spent the summer apart, communicating via cell phone while Cas was in Italy studying bees, and Dean spent the months working in Bobby’s garage. 

However, over the two and a half months apart, Dean started to realize more and more than his feelings for his best friend were not just friendly. He isn’t that experienced in the “love” department, but he can distinguish between friendship and what is clearly not just friendship, and Cas fits into the “clearly not just friendship” category. 

Is he going to do anything about it? Nope. Dean’s lost enough people in his life to know to hold on dearly to those who stick around, and not jeopardize it. In the back of his mind, Dean can hear his father say that nobody is permanent, but Dean wants Cas to be permanent. He wants him to be a constant presence in the rest of his life. So he’s not going to do anything to fuck it up. 

Sammy is nearly exploding with happiness when they arrive at the beginning of Diagon Alley, and the eleven year old is practically shouting when he spots Cas in the corner with his mother, Naomi. 

“Dean! Dean! Hello? Jerk, look over there!” the abnormally tall ashy haired boy screams in Dean’s ear, and he flinches. 

“Bitch, I can _hear_ you.” he grumbles, but he can feel a smile growing on his face as he gets closer to his best friend. The two of them hug, and it definitely is not the length of a normal hug, and Bobby clears his throat and Sammy laughs. Dean steps away from Cas (but still closer than anyone else he’s ever let stand near him for long periods of time, of course), and the band of them head into Diagon Alley. It’s Gabe’s last year at Hogwarts, so he’s already gone ahead and gotten his things earlier, but, like Sammy, this year is also Anna’s first, so she tags along this time, shopping for robes and books. 

Both families head to a pub for dinner, and then back to Cas’ flat for the night. The next day, there are four kids on the Hogwarts Express, and Bobby, Ellen, and Naomi smile as they wave goodbye to their kids until Christmastime. 

\---

This is the year that Cas and Dean can go to Hogsmeade on select weekends, which is all the two talk about on the train to Hogwarts. Of course, Charlie comes in and starts spouting facts about Hogsmeade before Alice takes her hand, which shuts the redhead right up. Anna and Sammy watch outside the window in amazement, and once they exhaust the topic of Hogsmeade, Dean and Cas start playing a few rounds of Muggle chess before they no longer have access to it for the next few months. 

As per tradition, Sammy and Anna are separated from the group and put on the boats to be brought over to Hogwarts, while the rest of them pile into the thestral carriages, and then they’re off to start their third year at Hogwarts. 

\---

It’s Cas’ birthday, and as a present Dean gets him a set of wizarding chess, and Cas lights up in response. He right away challenges Dean to a game, and while Cas wins, Dean couldn’t care less. He knows he’s watching him with what Sammy has affectionately nicknamed “heart eyes”, and he couldn’t care less. They spend the rest of the day in classes, but at night they play another game, and Cas doesn’t let him win. 

Sam, Charlie, Alice, and Anna watch in amusement as the two of them fight head to head, taking the game extremely seriously with bouts of flirty banter (at least from Dean it is), and Dean can see something turning in Sam’s mind. 

Goddamn it, his little brother knows him way too well. 

\---

Cas _knows_ what he and Dean do must be categorized as flirting. It’s playful in nature, and Cas tries not to be too serious about it because he doesn’t want to ruin what they have. However, something Gabe said over the summer has been running through his mind. 

“The way the two of you look at each other, it’s unlike anything I’ve seen before in my old age.” his brother commented one day as they were washing dishes together in the little villa they shared in Italy. 

“First of all, Gabriel, you are 17 years old. Second of all, what do you mean?” Cas tried to play innocent, but he knew the elder one could see right through him. 

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, but let’s just say that I’m altogether excited to watch it play out this year.”

Gabe’s right, though. Cas knows he sometimes stares at Dean too long, and he can feel Dean’s eyes on him lots of times. He’s gotten lost in conversation when Dean licks his lips (listen, he’s fourteen), and the affectionate banter _is_ flirty. 

This year, Dean and he share most classes together. Their elective together is Care for Magical Creatures, but also have Potions, Astrology, and Herbology together. They spend a lot of time together, and Cas could not be happier, and he’s extremely proud of the way Dean has moved up to the next level Charms class with the fourth years because he’s just that good. 

But sometimes, being around his best friend and crush is just _too damn much_. He’s starting to notice things he didn’t before, like the way Dean smells really fucking good, that he bites his lip when he’s thinking, the way his green eyes sparkle with mischief when coming up with a joke, and the way he always makes sure that some part of his body is always touching Cas’. Well, maybe the last one is Cas overanalyzing, but the point still stands. 

Something is there. But Cas has been abandoned by friends too many times to count even at his young age, and even though Dean, Charlie, and he have been best friends for three years, a part of him will always wonder when the shoe will drop. 

Even if there is no metaphorical shoe, he doesn’t want to lose what he and Dean share, so Cas is determined to keep his feelings to himself and smother them down even more than in previous years. They’re best friends, and that’s it. 

\---

It’s their first weekend to Hogsmeade, and Cas has already fallen once in the big piles of snow that cover the ground, and Dean’s having a hard time holding back. By the second fall, Dean has forgone any sense of propriety and has taken Cas’ hand, and explained it with the pretense of not wanting Cas to fall again. However, it’s more than that. 

(It’s the way Cas smiles so brightly at him whenever they’re around each other. The way his blue, _deep blue_ , eyes sparkle when he gets excited about something. It’s his natural smell that entrances Dean and makes him lose his train of thought. It’s the way that apparently, he can’t keep his damn hands to himself.)

Cas seems to accept it, and Dean tells himself that the red in Cas’ cheeks are from the cold. He keeps telling himself that, just like everything else. 

(Denial is real.)

\---

They’re at Three Broomsticks with Gabe and his friends, and Dean _still_ hasn’t let go of Cas’ hand. He doesn’t know why. He doesn’t know how to. He altogether just doesn’t know anything, because all he can focus on is that one point of contact between them. He’s pretty sure he’s missed half the conversation, but he sips his butterbeer and Cas squeezes his hand. 

“You okay?” his best friend asks, and Dean nods, grateful. 

“Yeah I’m good.”

They make no mention of the fact they’re _still_ holding hands, and continue listening to Gabe talk about his latest sexcapades in the castle. 

Dean’s inner musings are interrupted when Gabe suddenly claps him on the back to get his attention. Cas slips his hand out from under Dean’s, and he wipes his clammy hands on his robes. He doesn’t look at Cas. 

“So, young padawan,” the seventeen year old pauses for dramatic effect, and Dean feels his chest constrict in anxiety. However, Gabe just says, “I have something for you and Cassie over here.” 

He hands them a folded piece of paper, and they open it curiously. In it is a map with names of different professors and people. Wait - it’s a map of Hogwarts!

Cas gasps. “Is this the Marauder’s Map?” 

Gabe grins. “You know it, little bro. I figured, because I’m leaving this year, I should pass it on to you so you two can get into shenanigans for me.” 

He then slaps Cas on the back. “Make me proud, Cassie. Make me proud.”

\---

Dean, Cas, and Charlie do make Gabe proud. Most of the time it’s just Dean and Cas, which does _not_ do much except wreak havoc on Cas’ internal systems, but that’s beside the point. A few times they invite Sam along with them, who’s been settling in fine at Hogwarts, and Cas notices Sam looking curiously between the two of them, but he doesn’t know if Dean sees it too. Dean’s previously complained about his younger brother being too knowing for his own good. Cas wonders if this is one of those times. 

They study in the Room of Requirements, eat the food that the elves have given Cas because he’s really gotten to know them well in the kitchen in his spare time away from classes and Dean, and spend a lot of time playing wizarding chess and studying. 

Cas also throws quite a few furtive looks in Dean’s direction, but hopes like hell that it isn’t noticeable. 

(It’s fucking noticeable.)

\---

Charlie and Sam start spending a lot of time together, and Dean doesn’t know whether to be happy or concerned. Both of them mean well, but they’re the meddling types, and he knows that Cas and him are not being exactly subtle. However, all he can do is try to focus on his classes and ignore what’s happening around him, and spend as much time as possible with his best friend. 

His best friend, who is currently writing furiously on parchment, his tongue sticking out between his teeth. It’s early December and normally it’d be Charlie studying like crazy, but apparently Cas had forgotten about an essay that was due that night. 

(It was probably because they had spent the previous night outside talking about constellations and catching up on each other’s lives because the time right before Christmas is always hectic at Hogwarts.)

“Hey Cas, how you holding up over here?”

The boy in mention glances up, eyes glazed over and anxious, before the tension vividly recedes from his body right in front of Dean’s eyes. “I am fine, I’m just anxious. This essay is so frustrating, I don’t know how to finish it on time.” 

Dean knows offering to help would do nothing, so instead he offers to sit by Cas’ side and give him pointers seeing as he had already finished his. He has about forty minutes before his fourth year Charms class starts, so he spends it with his best friend, working on a dumb Potions paper that is about comparing the Shrinking Solution to the Confusing Concoction. 

This is more or less how the rest of their time before the Christmas feast and break starts. Sammy has no idea yet, but third year is actually much harder than any of them thought it would be. Having nine or ten classes per week is much harder than Dean or Cas would have thought it would be. Charlie’s the only one who’s thriving, because she has somehow managed to take on eleven courses, a successful relationship with Alice, as well as make time for her best friends and participating in other activities on campus. How, nobody will ever know, but she does. Dean does notice that she disappears from time to time and has two classes often put at the same time, but he doesn’t try to wonder too much, because god knows what Charlie’s up to. 

\---

They come back in January after some much needed time away from school. If Cas is going to be honest, some much needed time away from Dean, as well. He’d been getting overwhelmed by how much he likes Dean, and he needed some time away. 

That being said, the two of them had talked nearly every day on the phone, and Gabe started to roll his eyes. 

“Little bro, you’re _so_ obvious.” 

\--

Cas has plans to go to Hogsmeade that weekend they get back to get Dean something for his upcoming birthday, and he has roped Charlie into distracting Dean for a half hour in exchange for some chocolate cauldrons. 

They spend Saturday there, eating and drinking at Three Broomsticks and exploring other shops before going back to campus to prepare for the big Gryffindor versus Slytherin game the next day. Cas has the perfect present for Dean, having searched long and hard. He knows that Dean loves Muggle Studies, especially because he grew up around Muggles, and he also knows he loves cars. He asked one of the shop makers in Hogsmeade to make a model of a 1967 Chevy that Dean can actually use and keep, not that he knows it of course because they can’t use magic outside of the castle grounds until they graduate. 

(Judging from Dean’s reaction on January 24th, it’s the best present he’s ever received, and the hug and glistening eyes Cas gets in response is well worth the time and money spent on the gift for his best friend.)

The game goes well, with last minute saves and passes from the Gryffindor team, Adam and Dean proving themselves a worthy addition to the team once again, with Adam making many goals and Dean capturing the snitch within twenty minutes of the game. 

There’s much excitement that night, with partying going on in Gryffindor (Cas and Gabe are there, as well as Charlie and countless others from other houses), and Dean gets a little tipsy on one glass of firewhiskey. 

So tipsy that he sidles up to Cas, who’s in the corner grinning at the shenanigans happening around him. The other boy is sober as a leaf, and merely grins at the state his best friend is in. 

“You’re pretty, Cas.”

The grinning bastard becomes a full on blushing mess, but his voice is steady when he responds with, “Dean, you’re inebriated.” 

Dean, in his gone state, pays no heed to what his best friend is saying. “But you’re so pretttttttty.” He slings his arm around Cas. “I think you’re so great.” He leans his head on his shoulder, and green eyes gaze up into blue. 

‘Wow,’ Dean thinks. ‘His eyes are even prettier up close.’ He can literally feel Cas’ breath on his lips and it’s heavy, just like his. He leans a little closer and can not only see Cas lick his lips, but can practically feel it as well. The two of them are infinitely close… and then Gabe stumbles into them and pushes them apart.

He’s extremely drunk, and singing some off-tune rendition of _Country Roads, Take Me Home_. He sits down between the two boys, and the moment is ruined. 

(That is, until Dean wakes up the next morning, a slight headache pounding above his eyes, and remembers what he did.)

(Well, shit.)

\---

Cas has no idea what to do. He has laid in bed since two in the morning, wracking his brain on how to act when he sees Dean the next morning. He isn’t sure if Dean’s going to remember, because he doesn’t think that he had _that_ much to drink, after all he’s only fourteen, but then again, who knows? 

Turns out, Cas doesn’t have to worry, because at breakfast, Dean acts like nothing happened. So Cas decides to do the same. They laugh and joke like old pals, and not even the suspicious looks of Charlie and Sam (who were both at the party, _shit_ ) can put him off. 

(It doesn’t help that he gets cornered by the two of them later, ready to ask questions, but he tells them to please not. 

“I have no idea what’s going on, I’m sure Dean doesn’t either, and honestly what the fuck even is going to happen.”

Sam and Charlie both look saddened by his statement, but they leave it very much alone, and they continue on with their day just the same.

Cas feels like shit, though.

Because he really wanted to kiss Dean.

And he thinks Dean really wanted to kiss him, too.

So, shit.)

\---

It’s several weeks later, around mid April right before Easter, when Dean is confronted by his brother the same way Cas had been. Which annoys him, because it isn’t like Dean hasn’t thought about what had happened, but he’s been _really busy_ with schoolwork, you know? So he doesn’t appreciate his eleven year old brother interfering with his _precious study time_. 

Or rather, that’s what he tells himself. 

He and Sam spend the entirety of Easter break at odds, combined with surreptitious looks from Sam and eye-rolling from Dean. Dean talks to Cas a few times on the phone, but not as much as usual because there had been a talk about how they didn’t need to spend so much time talking to each other because they would be best friends no matter what. 

(Is this a sign of becoming a proper teenager, maybe?)

It worries him, yeah, but they are still as close as before, and things are good. Better, even. They still touch frequently and hug a lot, and maintain steady eye contact until one of them breaks it (he heard one of the ghosts call it “eye-fuckery” but that’s breaching territory Dean isn’t ready to get to, yet), and they are each others’ confidants. They’re best friends, and practically soulmates through and through. 

The feelings are still there, though. Sometimes Dean is kept up at night thinking about what it’d be like to hold Cas’ hand as a proper boyfriend, rather than sometimes as an excuse. He pushes those down real quick, though, because it isn’t worth it. 

Even if Cas returns those feelings, which he most likely doesn’t as much seeing as how he never brought the near kiss up after the party, they’re better off as best friends. 

\---

The rest of the year goes smoothly. No more near kisses, just the same things. Sneaking out to watch the stars, touching each other whenever possible but making no comment, and studying for final exams are all a part of their days in the final weeks leading up to the end of the school term. 

And things are good. They go to Hogsmeade one more time, have more butterbeer, and enjoy themselves in the little freedom from their studies. Gryffindor wins one more time against Slytherin, and there’s another celebration, but Dean abstains from any alcohol and they end up outside, where it is slightly cold even though it’s almost proper summer. They fall asleep next to each other, their shoulders touching, and when Gabe finds them the next morning after going outside to throw up, he apparently takes a picture of the two of them. 

(Cas finds the picture later that summer, and he slides a copy into his desk. They look so peaceful, and he wants to forever remember that night, because it was one of the best ones from that year.)

And although they have to part ways for the summer, Dean going on an exchange program to a Canadian wizardship program for Charms that he won on a scholarship, and Cas going up to Scotland to study under a Herbology and Animus professor to learn more about plants and animals, the six of them promise to stay in touch, as usual. Charlie and Alice are spending half the summer together in Paris, and Sammy is going to go home and study (in the summer! Dean exclaims, and Cas nudges him with a laugh), but they are all close friends who will be starting their next school term before they know it.


	4. fourth year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there's a lot of tension, the boys are busy, and something major happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> many thanks to kat, kayli, and the llama squad for helping me with this one and my mental breakdown. y'all are the best. love you to the moon and back. 
> 
> THIS CHAPTER IS WHERE THE MATURE RATINGS START! JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW. if it isn't your cup of tea, i'm sorry!! it's minor but it's still there. teenage hormones, amiright.

It’s the middle of September, and O.W.Ls preparation is already upon Dean and the rest of the fourth years. They had arrived at Hogwarts a few weeks prior, and  _ everything _ is about these examinations that will have to be taken in their fifth year. Seeing as O.W.L’s determine the possibility of one’s future career, it is one of the two important exams any wizard will take in their formative years, as well as what types of classes any given student can take in their sixth and seventh years. 

Cas decided over the summer to take O.W.Ls in Care for Magical Creatures, Herbology, Astrology, Arithmancy, and Potions, and Dean is taking his in Care for Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, Charms, Astrology, and Potions. And Dean’s ready to have a breakdown. Cas and he hadn’t talked as much over the summer as they used to because of their busy schedules, once or twice a week at most, but that didn’t stop them from going right back into their typical routine once they arrived back at school. Their schedules are pretty good this year - they have most of their classes together but Dean’s alone in Herbology and Cas is alone in Charms, both of which were the classes they helped each other in. 

They still make time for each other. Every few weekends, they plan, they’ll go to Hogsmeade. They’ll study together. And of course, eat in the Great Hall with their friends, and Cas promises Dean that he’ll support him in the Quidditch games. 

\---

The day before Cas’ birthday, Dean’s out on the Quidditch field past eleven o’clock at night, practicing for Gryffindor’s first game that would be later that week. Cas wanders out there, expecting to find his best friend there. He notices Dean’s in the process of making a very dangerous loop that could easily cause him to fall, and he finds himself shouting out in alarm.

“Dean! Be careful!”

Dean laughs as he flies down next to Cas. “Heya, Cas. Why aren’t ya sleeping?”

“I was worried about you - you didn’t show up for dinner!” Cas replies, and Dean shrugs in response. 

“I was busy practicing; I want to get captain next year and I need to work my ass off for these games.”

Cas tsks. “You need food, Dean. You shouldn’t do things in such excess.”

“What are you, my mother?” Dean snorts, and lays an arm around Cas affectionately. “I’ll be fine. Let’s go get a snack from the kitchens.”

(This is how they’ve always been - Dean does things in excess, or in general has reckless ideas, and Cas is there to bring him back down, to calm him down. It’s why they work.)

\---

Mid November is when things get trickier. They’re in Potions and sitting next to each other when Lucifer tells the class that their next assignment is  _ Amortentia _ , or a love potion. Whatever one smells in it, is what or who they love. 

Dean does his first, adding in the ashwinder eggs, rose thorns, peppermint, rose petals, pearl dust, and dear God, powdered moonstone, before mixing it all together and casting the required incantation. 

And all he smells is honey, angel dust, and something akin to snow. Nothing new. It’s what Cas smells like all the time. He can see said boy looking inquisitively at him, and he shakes his head. 

“It must have gone awry, because I can’t smell anything.” For some reason, he withholds the word new that should have been added to the end of that sentence.

Cas seems to accept that as it is, and starts the process to make his own  _ Amortentia _ . 

\--

Later, Dean, Charlie, and Sam are talking while Castiel is in Arithmancy, and he tells his younger brother about the event in Potions. Something isn’t settling right with him, because he’s  _ sure  _ that he followed the instructions perfectly and the potion should have worked. 

Sammy snorts, and he and Charlie roll their eyes simultaneously. Which, to be honest, is quite creepy, and the two of them need to stop spending so much time around each other.

“Dean, you smell what you  _ love _ . You said you smelled everything that Cas is, essentially? That you smelled nothing new because you  _ spend so much time around each other _ , literally on top of each other?” The floppy haired boy raises his eyebrows at Dean. “Can you figure the rest out, or do I need to spell everything out for you, like usual?”

Dean thinks for a minute, and then there’s a lightbulb. And oh my fucking god, he’s a fucking idiot.

Because he’s in love with his best fucking friend.

(The fact Sammy and Charlie are laughing at his facial expression while Dean’s having a full on realization isn’t nice. It isn’t. The two of them claim that it’s been obvious since third year, which is when Dean  _ just realized he has a crush on Castiel oh my god I’ve been in love with him this entire time _ .)

\---

Before Christmas break comes, Cas and Dean end up studying late nights together. It’s either Cas waits till Dean is done out on the Quidditch field, or he studies by wandlight, or they study together. There’s even a few times where the two of them end up in the same bed, cuddled together or even laying on top of each other. 

(There’s a few times of incidental morning erections that are unconventionally placed as they wake up together, practically sharing morning breath. Cas can sometimes still feel the phantom breathing on his lips from Dean, which often causes him to become shaky and lose his balance or place in conversation. That’s totally normal. Right?)

Cas knows he isn’t straight. He’s known that since he first set eyes on Dean, and he admittedly has noticed other boys around the castle that have caught his attention. That’s never been the problem here. The problem here, is that this is his  _ best friend _ . He can’t lose him. 

So, he’s determined to push it all down, just like before. No matter how many times they wake up together and Dean has a sleepy smile on his face, and throws his arm over Cas, mumbling, “Stay just a few more minutes.” 

When Dean had smelled his  _ Amortentia _ , Cas saw his eyes dart over to his, and he felt his heart swoop. And then the green-eyed boy just said that his was not done right, and Cas’ heart fell back into its normal space, at its normal rhythm. Thank God that Dean hadn’t asked about Cas’, because it smelled like pine, grass, ocean, and incense, the exact combination that is Dean. 

So, in conclusion, Castiel is fucked. Big time. And he also thinks Charlie and Sam are talking about Dean and him behind their back, because there are a lot of furtive glances and giggling whenever their gazes land on the two of them. 

(Cas is  _ sure  _ that Charlie and Sam are talking about them when the two of them threaten to lock them into a closet until they “sort their shit out” because the “tension is too much and overwhelming”. They don’t actually follow through with their promise, but the fact a strange thrill runs down Cas’ back is also a confirmation for what he already knows: his feelings for Dean are definitely not platonic, and definitely not just a crush anymore.)

\---

Their trip to go get butterbeer at Three Broomsticks is in full swing the first weekend in December, joined by Charlie and Alice, of course. Sam and Anna can’t join yet, because they are only second years, but Dean promised to bring back a variety of chocolates for his little brother. Conversation is flowing smoothly between the four of them, but Cas notices that something is up with Dean, and tugs him away for a second. 

“Dean, are you okay? What’s wrong?” 

Dean shrugs, a tendency of his when he wants to brush it off. “Bad dream, Cas.” He says gruffly, and Cas is hit suddenly by a realization that Dean’s voice is getting much lower than it was last year, and it’s fucking  _ hot _ . 

Dean can obviously tell that Cas isn’t going to let it go, and sighs. “I’m overwhelmed with work. After all, all work and no play makes Dean a very dull boy."

Cas doesn’t understand what he meant by that. “Dean, I do not understand that reference. Is it a reference?” He lays his hand on Dean’s, and luckily the latter doesn’t lean away. “I just want to help.”

“Cas… you can’t. But please, never change.” 

Cas once again doesn’t understand where Dean’s coming from, but judging from the tired circles around his green eyes, Dean obviously does not either.

\---

Dean hasn’t slept properly in a few days. Why? Other than dealing with classes, Quidditch, OWL preparation, and Charm lessons, he also keeps getting uncomfortably hot around the collar when thinking of his extremely attractive best friend and it’s getting to be annoying. Cas is his  _ best friend _ , for fucks sake. They’ve been best friends for nearly four years now. 

It’s all because he walked in on Cas changing the other day. And he has no idea how the fifteen year old has managed to go to the gym on top of everything else, but he isn’t exactly puny. And his underwear left little to the imagination. Dean gulped, bumped into the nearest lamp, and watched it crash to the floor before altogether fleeing from the room. 

He’s not exactly the most suave teenage boy, alright?

He’s determined to get himself under control, though. He’s here to get mainly an education, not to fool around, as Bobby told him before they got on the train this year. And like he said, he can’t lose Cas.

Even if Cas does an adorable head tilt, lets Dean show him cowboy movies and explain his way through them, and does not understand even the most basic of references. It’s endearing, really. Even if Cas is the one who always takes care of Dean when he has his breakdowns, staying by his side as his rock and helper. Even if Cas is his biggest fan, always screaming from the Quidditch stands during games even though, as he’s told Dean, he’s terrified that something’s going to happen to him. Even if.

\---

There’s more O.W.L studying, classes, and Quidditch practice before it’s the big Christmas feast and the Great Hall is decorated in garland ranging from silver, gold, red, and green, as well as fairy lights and magnificent candles and other lighting equipment. Everyone piles into the room, and as Professor Hanscum says her annual speech, Cas feels Dean staring at him. 

“What’s up, Dean?” He asks, turning to face the other boy. 

“Nothing. Just watching Hanscum.” He replies back quickly, turning to face the Gryffindor table, his ears and neck turning red. Charlie and Sam snicker from the Ravenclaw table, and Cas rolls his eyes. Nothing can be done when it comes to those two teaming together. 

They eventually dig in, a wide variety of food appearing on the long tables, from turkeys to vegetarian options, as well. 

‘Hogwarts has updated itself quite a bit since Harry Potter’s time, that’s for sure,’ Cas thinks. He can feel Dean staring at him again, and debates on turning around again, eventually choosing against it. 

(The two of them head out to look at the stars after the big feast, because they are both already packed. They’re spending the holiday together in London with Cas’ family, which will be nice because they haven’t spent quite as much time as they used to these past few months because of the sheer amount of things that have been going on. 

It does end up being a really nice holiday. There are a few moments where they stare a little too long at each other, or they’ll invade each others’ personal space and it’s like everyone’s holding their breath in the room, but overall, it’s a successful and restful vacation.)

\---

Dean’s fifteenth birthday marks the mid-year annual game between Gryffindor and Slytherin, one where every student and teacher at Hogwarts come out and choose a side and cheer that side on. Cas is, as usual, a mother hen and worried about Dean because Dean’s lack of sleep is getting bad again now that they’re back at school, but Dean shoots him a grin that Cas can see from a mile away, and he relaxes a little.

That is, until Dean falls from his broom. 

He’s  _ almost  _ got the snitch in his hand - it’s literally so close - and then there’s a flash and Dean falls. Or maybe Cas just imagines the flash, but the point is, Dean plummets to the ground.

And Cas’ world comes to a halt. 

Dean's in a heap on the ground as Cas pushes his way through as Madame Pomfrey rushes to Dean’s side. 

Cas is torn - does he follow Dean to the hospital ward or stay with their friends who are waiting worriedly in the stands?

He follows them to the hospital room, which is where Cas stays all night, watching as Dean’s bones are all magically healed together. Dean is put in a deep sleep to help the pain that he will inevitably feel in the morning from having his body break and be put together again, but Cas stays diligently by his side. 

He spends the entire night sitting there, beside the hospital bed, refusing to leave even as Madame Pomfrey explained to him that visiting hours were over. She eventually gave up and left herself, but Cas stays. 

Through the night, the moment where Dean is falling replays through Cas’ mind at least a hundred thousands times. His heart aches every time he sees in his eye Dean on the ground, helpless, and this is the moment that Cas has a moment of clarity.

He’s in love with Dean Winchester. Has most likely been since day one, on that fateful day on the train when they were eleven.  He doesn’t know if Dean feels the same, but he doesn’t want to change anything for the worse. 

“I’m not going to lose you again,” he vows to a silent room, and takes a hold of Dean’s hand on the bed. 

Dean wakes up at 7:33, and Cas feels a part of him relax that he did not even know was tense, although most likely every part of him was. He’s exhausted but he’s thrilled to see his best friend open his eyes, and tears well up in Cas’ eyes. 

He grabs Dean’s hand, and holds on. 

“Cas… what are you doing here? What happened?” Dean asks groggily, and Cas explains what happened to him. It’s a long time before Cas leaves the infirmary, but it’s Wednesday and they have classes, so he departs with the promise to visit and bring Dean a burger and bacon from the kitchen. 

(Dean stays in the hospital ward for another day before getting right back up on the broom and going to classes, and something must change because he starts sleeping more and his dark circles leave. Maybe it’s the near-death experience, or maybe it’s something else, but Cas is happy to find that his best friend is coming back slowly but surely. At least that's one thing that's been solved.)

\---

The rest of the year passes by with O.W.L preparation, classes, Easter break, and a final Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. This time, Gryffindor wins, and there is, of course, a huge party in the Gryffindor common room for all who want to join.

Dean and Cas are in the corner, giggling over something or the other, Dean can’t really remember. They’re talking about how the end of the school year is approaching, and that they’re going to be fucking fifth years. It’s a mundane conversation, but they’ve both had a few drinks in them by now, and on their way to being properly drunk. 

(“How are you so wasted?” Dean had said while sipping on his firewhiskey. “I found a liquor store… And I drank it.” Cas had responded, and Dean, for some reason, had found that entirely way too funny than he would have in a normal situation.)

Throughout their conversation, Dean finds himself staring at Cas’ lips, and then his eyes, and then back. He notices Cas’ pupils are dilated and licks his lips, watching as his best friend traces the movement with his blue eyes. He finds himself tensing up,  _ waiting _ , because there’s so much tension between the two of them that it’s hard to breathe. 

And then they’re no longer breathing, but kissing and sharing the same breaths, finally. Pretty soon tongue gets involved, but neither of them are very good at snogging. They do their best, and nobody is there to stop them. Dean feels Cas grab the back of his neck, tugging him infinitely closer, and suddenly he has a lapful of Castiel Novak, tugging on his hair and letting out soft moans against his lips. 

(It’s fucking  _ hot _ .)

Dean is inclined to respond, hell, he  _ needs  _ to, so he wraps his arms around the boy in his lap and brings him flush with whatever the fuck is going on down there. Both of them moan then, and then they’re starting to rock against each other, and  _ dear god this feels good _ .

And then.

And  _ then _ .

A fucking third year falls into them, drunk off their mind, giggling excessively, before yelling “sorry!” and running off. 

And Dean just stares at Cas in front of him, going practically cross-eyed with how close the other boy is. They’re still practically sharing the same air, and Dean is about to say fuck it when Cas pulls back and says, softly, “I’m sorry. We can’t.”

Cas scrambles off his lap, and Dean’s left with a thundering silence in his brain and a raging hard on in his pants. 

Well, shit.

\---

The rest of June goes something like this:

Dean sees Cas in the hall, and he nods at him. Cas doesn’t know how to respond, seeing as how he caused this, and he runs in the opposite direction, cursing himself because now he’s going to be late for class. 

They don’t interact much, other than what is absolutely necessary in class, and there is a lot of sighing coming from Sam and Charlie whenever they’re around the two of them. 

It’s an awkward three weeks, but then final exams come. Cas is relieved, for the first time, when he leaves Hogwarts because he doesn’t know how much more of this no speaking he could handle, even though technically he’s the one who caused it. 

(He’s just scared, okay? He’s really fucking scared. Why do they always do this when one or both of them are inebriated?)

He really wishes they had continued. He spent that night refusing to let himself get off before finally succumbing to his hormones at around four in the morning, feeling a hangover start to settle in right after and waking up two hours later with the worst goddamn headache he’s ever dealt with.

Not to mention the absence of his best friend in his life, of course. 

That’s the worst part. But it’s something that Cas has to handle, and he doesn’t know if he wants to just quite yet. What happened between them was inevitable, he figures, because okay maybe Dean  _ is  _ a little attracted to him, they are teenage hormonal boys after all and Dean isn’t exactly straight… but it meant so much more to Cas than just a casual hook up.

Okay, no matter how many ways Cas tries to explain it, it doesn’t sound very good. He sounds like a fucking douche. But he’s too proud to bring it up with Dean.

And as a result, Dean and Cas spend the rest of the summer not talking, because if there’s one thing those two boys are actually good at, it’s holding a grudge for no reason and being fucking stubborn. 

But there’s always next year, right?

(Right.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm hoping to finish this fic by dec 23, seeing as the holidays are in full gear by then. so it's three chapters in four days. welp. wish me luck. 
> 
> thanks for reading!


	5. fifth year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> o.w.l prep is upon them, and dean and cas still aren't talking. sam, charlie, and the rest are so done with their shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has been a lil shit to write.
> 
> i suffer from bipolar disorder, and i cycled from a manic to a depressive episode in the midst of writing it, and oh my dear god it was hard to finish.
> 
> but i did!
> 
> many thanks to kayli and kat for supporting me and helping me through this. y'all are the best.

Dean knows he’s been moping around for the last six weeks, but he _misses Cas_ , okay? Sam’s about to skin him alive because of all this ‘pining’ that he’s doing (his younger brother’s words, not his). Sammy had taken him aside earlier, before Dean had gone outside to work on the cars in the garage, to tell him that he had to get his shit together before the school year started. 

Dean had scoffed and pretended everything was okay, but then Bobby came out of the house and agreed with Sammy. “Seriously, son, you’re acting like your favorite horse just kicked it and now you’re alone. Do something about it or quit your sulking.”

So Dean picks up the phone, dials Cas’ number… and promptly hangs up when he hears Anna’s voice. 

Maybe he’s a coward, okay? But he isn’t the one who ran away and didn’t talk to him for the last two months! Then again... he could have tried to talk to Cas at least. But he didn't, and now he has to deal with the repercussions of his actions.

And overall, that’s how the rest of the summer goes. Dean mopes, Sammy rolls his eyes and ends up going to Anna’s for a week (that’s fucking _betrayal)_ , and Ellen, Jo, and Bobby all shake their heads. It's absolutely boring, but Dean can't be bothered to do anything else because he's just _sad,_ okay?

\---

Cas is, to put it mildly, surprised when Sam Winchester ends up on his doorstep in the beginning of August. He opens the door, still in his bathrobe (although he hasn’t changed out of it much this summer), and does a double take. 

“Sam? To what do I owe this pleasure?” He asks, and Sam smiles stiffly. 

“Hey Cas, I’m here to see Anna? She told me I could stay over for a few days?”

Someone bounds up behind Sam. It’s Charlie. 

“Hiya! Let’s do some plan-” Sam nudges her. “Let’s do some reading! Reading is what we’re doing!”

Cas just stares confusedly at the scene unraveling in front of him, shrugs, and walks back to his room. 

He has no idea what two of his friends and sister are doing that week, but there sure is a lot of giggling, scribbling, and furtive glances his way those seven days. Cas busies himself with reading up on Irish honeybees, and continues eating all the ice cream in the house and moping up until it’s time to go to Hogwarts. 

\---

Dean wasn’t going to sit in the same car as Cas on the train, he really wasn’t. However, Sammy kept pushing him to sit in _this car_ while saying “just trust me we’ll get the best views and best sweets!”. 

Now he’s not only facing his (ex?) best friend on the train, but there’s also total silence as his little brother and three of his friends all pretend to make conversation, but in reality are staring at the two of them in interest. 

It’s not awkward. At all.

And it just gets better.

They get assigned to the same O.W.L preparation teacher. 

O.W.Ls are at the end of the year, and it’s already stressful. The amount of homework they have now is unbelievable. On top of that, Dean and Cas have to spend every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday together as partners because they were paired together. Flitwick is their advisor, and they have to sit next to each other. 

That being said, it’s great, really, having to work together again. No, it is. Dean had forgotten how well the two of them are when they put their heads together and collaborate. They get things done twice as fast and it’s refreshing. 

Finals last year had been excruciating without Cas being there to encourage him to study.

But that’s as far as their interactions go, for a long time at least.

\---

Cas spends his days burying himself in his studies, focusing on Herbology and his O.W.Ls, as well as helping out with Hagrid down at his hut with his creatures and spending time with his friends. Who are also Dean’s friends. It seems that the two of them have started almost sharing custody of their four friends, seeing as Dean has certain days and Cas has others. 

It’s odd. 

Cas is made prefect of Ravenclaw in October, and that’s honestly his best accomplishment to date. He’s following in the footsteps of his chaotic but dutiful brothers, and he’s undoubtedly proud of himself. Dean slips him a note that reads ‘congrats on making prefect cas. knew you could do it.’ and Cas nods back to him, and his friends hold a small party for him. He’s sixteen and sharing notes with his best friend, and that’s what his life has come to. 

\---

Dean is made captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and to follow tradition, Cas slips him a note in Charms that congratulates him, and Dean’s grateful for the small contact that he has with his best friend. He misses him, but Dean’s too proud and stubborn to do anything about the rift between them. 

He meets a sixth year Hufflepuff named Ketch who’s practicing on the field at midnight, same as him, and they get to talking, and before Dean knows it, they’re tumbling into bed together while giggling over firewhiskey. They have classes the next day, but getting off has never been so much fun and Dean doesn’t even regret the fucking hangover that’s killing him the next day. 

Ketch and he are fooling around in one of the closets when, lo and behold, Cas walks in, claiming to be looking for a different broom closet. The blue eyed boy avoids Dean’s eyes, and Dean feels ashamed before he catches sight of his brother darting away, laughing with Charlie. 

(Cas doesn’t look him in the eye again after that incident. In fact, things get even more awkward, and it’s like they’re back to square fucking one.) 

He brushes it off, but resolves to ask Sam what that was about, later. He never actually does, because that same day in December there’s _suddenly_ a mountain of essays and transcriptions that have to be done and completed within a minute’s notice (listen, he’s dealing with a lot here), and Dean spends most of his days leading up to the Yule Ball holed up in the library, scribbling furiously on parchment to finish up and get whatever grades he will. 

\---

Cas has handed in all of his assignments ahead of time so he can spend extra hours with his friends and working on O.W.L preparation, but he wishes he had the excuse of hiding under piles of paper after he walks in on Dean and Ketch. 

He knows it’s his fault, that he ran away and fucked up any chance he ever had with Dean. But the fact is, he’s _hurting_ and it _sucks_. It sucks how much he wants to be with Dean, how much he misses without the green-eyed grasshopper in his life. He misses the jokes that, when he laughed, Dean would light up at. He sees flashes of green everywhere and thinks of his best friend, and his heart aches. He’s avoided all Quidditch games because it hurts too much to think about the times they shared together there. 

He’s a dramatic sixteen year old, okay? He’s allowed to be like this. 

He misses his best friend, and that’s the exact reason he decides to take a girl named Meg who’s been asking him out for two years now to the Yule Ball.

(Totally not because he knows Dean’s going with Ketch, Sam with his new girlfriend Eileen, and Charlie with Alice, and he also wants to see if he can make Dean jealous. It’s not like he has much left to lose on that part.)

(And overall, the Yule Ball goes off without a problem. There’s lots of eating, lots of dancing, and lots of pining stares from a certain green-eyed and blue-eyed pair of boys. There’s a party afterwards where a lot of people get drunk, and Cas avoids that area like the plague with the memories of what happened the last time he got drunk around Dean. 

Overall, it wasn’t a bad night. But he still misses Dean.)

\---

After Christmas break, Dean almost doesn’t want to go back to Hogwarts. He’s not sure if he can deal with any more silence from Cas and the side giggling from his other friends. After the Yule Ball, the two of them had tentatively made up but then there was absolutely no contact for three weeks, and he’s back to square one of making it up on the go. He’s usually pretty good with going with the flow, Cas is the one who has issues with having no structure in his life, but he’s sure feeling like that at the moment. 

He ends up going back to Hogwarts, of course, because Bobby would kick his ass if he didn’t and Sammy would lose his shit. Speaking of annoying little brothers, Dean’s annoying little brother is definitely planning something. He’s definitely up to something, if not has been for a while, because Dean barely saw him all of winter break and that’s saying something. 

And he’s right. Once they arrive at Hogwarts in the carriages (still led by the thestrals!), Sam pounces on him. 

“Okay, enough is enough.” Sam says, crossing his arms and looking down at him. Sam’s grown taller than Dean, and he’s fucking 5’9”. His little brother’s nearing six foot at this point, which is a thought that he doesn’t want to think about. Dean’s thoughts are interrupted by, “You and Cas need to fucking make up. We can’t deal with watching you two circle each other like this… I don’t know! Two idiots who need to deal with their fucking miscommunication already!”

Dean’s stunned. He definitely wasn’t expecting that to come out of his little brother’s mouth. 

“Uh… Okay. I will.” He says, and he knows he has a look of surprise on his own face at his easy acquiesce because Sam’s face goes from confusion to pure glee. 

“Well that was easy.” And then the floppy haired man turns on his heels and walks to Charlie. 

Dean hears Sam all the way to the end of the corridor. “Charlie, that was so much easier than you said it would be.” He just rolls his eyes and sets off to put his luggage down in his dormitory before the feast starts. 

Because really, this is exactly what Dean had been afraid of. Losing his friendship with one of the people he cares about the most in his life, because of mutual stubbornness. And if Cas won’t do it, then Dean’s going to have to man up and do it for him to fix things.

\---

Dean’s birthday comes and goes, and Cas spends the night outside watching the stars by himself. He’s about to fall asleep (thank god he’s wearing his fluffiest robe and warmest garments) when he senses a presence next to him. 

“It’s nice out here, isn’t it?” Dean says, and Cas turns to face him. 

“Yeah. You can see Pleiades up there. Orion’s over there. They’re beautiful this time of year.”

Dean’s smile can be heard through his words. “I could never tell if it was me or you who had a bigger affinity for the stars.”

“I think it was you, but I learned a lot from you in the process.”

There’s silence for a few moments, before: “Can we… continue to learn from each other?”

Cas leans up on one elbow to look fully at the other boy. “What do you mean?” He knows what Dean means, but he sort of wants to hear him out. 

“I mean… the last eight months have been absolute hell. I don’t care what happened between us anymore, I just want my best friend back.”

Cas can’t help but snark back, “You seemed to be doing well with Ketch.”

Dean looks at him, just _looks_ , and Cas feels like he’s looking into his soul. “Were you jealous?”

“A little.” Cas admits readily, because he too is ready to move on from this constant back and forth that has been going on between the two of them the last half a year. 

Dean smiles, enough to make Cas crack one in return. “That was nothing. There were things, people… hell, feelings that I wanted to experience differently. Maybe for the first time? And I did that. He wasn’t what I was looking for.” He pauses before continuing, and Cas tries not to overthink what Dean just said. “I think that it’d be best if we just remained friends, though. I don’t want anything to ruin us again. At the risk of sounding like a girl, I really fucking missed you, Castiel.”

Cas sits up and pats Dean’s arm. “I agree, Dean. I believe we should move past this and continue on with our future together, platonically.”

Dean stares at Cas, and Cas stares back. It’s one of their typical “eye-fuck” scenarios, except Cas knows now that that part would not be accessible from his best friend anymore. And it’s going to be alright. They’re best friends again, and they’re tentatively going back to the way they used to. 

(He fucked it up. But he also fucked it up by leaving. And he’s going to take what Dean has given him, take the goddamn bone, and accept the fact he’s getting back his best friend when he thought he had lost him forever too.)

\---

The rest of the year flies by with O.W.L preparation now that Dean and Cas have each other to help study with their teacher. Dean ends up getting three O’s, one E, and one A, in Potions of course, and Cas does similarly well. These are all grades that will allow them to pass on to their N.E.W.T level courses the next year, and everyone celebrates the end of the year with, as usual, a party. 

The Gryffindor Quidditch team wins the final game, as per usual, and Cas and Dean end up celebrating by going into Hogsmeade and spending time drinking butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks instead of going with their friends to the biggest party at the school of the year. 

So, in all, all is well. Sort of.

They don’t touch. Dean thought that things would go back to normal, as in no personal space would be acceptable, but Cas seems determined to keep a distance between the two of them that has never been there before. Dean respects it, but is undoubtedly confused because really, shouldn’t he be the one who’s keeping the distance because he was the one run out on? But oh well. He’s taking what he’s being given, and not questioning it. 

Because overall, it’s just amazing to have his best friend back. And he doesn’t want anything to change that ever again.


	6. sixth year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> their pining comes to a head, and they get through their sixth year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took forever to get out because i am indeed not manic and write sparingly when not in an increasingly extreme mood. 
> 
> the end is kind of rushed, but i'm proud of this regardless.
> 
> thanks for reading!

On a spur of the moment decision, Cas invites Dean to the British Virgin Islands for the summer. His family owns a resort there, Cas explains, and it would be really fun for the two of them to relax and just hang out after not being around each other for so long. 

Dean readily agrees, and when he finds out the drinking age is but 16 there, he’s even happier. He hasn’t drunk a lot, maybe four times or so in the last two years, but he’s glad to know that the option is there, even with his developing brain. 

(Now, he’s not saying to go get drunk at 14. It was a dumb idea but he’s been drinking with Bobby since he was young, because Bobby and Ellen are lax and share their wine with Sammy and him over dinner sometimes.)

Anyway, they spend the summer at the resort on Tortola, and Dean’s sure this is going to rack up to be one of the two experiences of his life, ever, already. They sail, fish, and snorkel, and spend a lot of time drinking Piña Coladas with Cas’ uncle Bartholomew. 

Before they know it, sixth year starts at Hogwarts. They had to choose their N.E.W.T level courses by mid September, with Dean choosing Care for Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, Charms, Defense against the Dark Arts, Astrology, and Potions, because he wants to combine his Muggle Studies with a job in the Ministry of Magic against the Dark Arts. Cas chooses to work towards being a Healer, which means he has to achieve at least 5 E-level N.E.W.T grades in Herbology, Arithmancy, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and Care for Magical Creatures. 

And Dean already wants to die with the workload that he has put on himself. On top of his six courses that he  _ has  _ to achieve high levels in in seventh year, he has to choose new Quidditch players and train them as well. As a result, Cas and him don’t get to spend much time together. Cas is busy being Prefect and taking his job seriously (Dean tries to make him lighten up but apparently Cas is determined to not be like Gabriel and let things slide), and already studying his ass off for  _ his  _ six courses. 

On top of all that, Dean’s also trying desperately to get over his best friend, which is why a welcome distraction comes in the form of Benny, a seventh year Hufflepuff who came up to him at their first Quidditch match and congratulated him on choosing a good team for the year. Dean jumps at the opportunity, because he is pretty sure that Benny’s into him, and asks him out on a Hogsmeade date that same weekend. 

That’s a good way to start getting over Cas, right? 

—

Cas meets Meg, a fifth year Slytherin, at the same Quidditch game Dean meets Benny. And they end up going to Hogsmeade too, which is why the four of them end up on an awkward double first date. Cas is honestly surprised Meg agreed to this, because she had made snarky comments about his codependence with Dean in the few discussions they had had about something other than Meg’s outstanding work in her future N.E.W.T’s and  _ all  _ her job opportunities that are coming her way. 

(If it isn't obvious, Meg and he do not have much in common. But ultimately Dean seems to be fine with dating, so why shouldn’t Cas? They decided to be  _ just _ friends, after all.)

The double date overall goes quite well, and Cas is intrigued by Meg, but he can’t help but steal glances over at Dean every once in a while, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t catch Dean staring back at him too. 

And that’s how it goes the next few weeks, with dates and double dates because Dean refuses to leave Cas’ side half the time, not that Cas is complaining or doesn’t do the same. 

(He’s worried that Dean will actually leave him because Benny seems like a much better match for Dean than Cas is, but  _ oh my god  _ he’s scared.)

\---

It’s Dean’s first time in the prefect bathroom, and it’s beautiful. There’s a big space in the middle where the water is filled with pink bubbles, and everything is engraved with gold. 

Dean knows his face is lit up in awe, mostly because he has never seen anything quite like this. Hogwarts overall is gorgeous, what with its twists and turns of magical staircases, the towering ceilings, and that’s without even mentioning the grounds or the Great Hall. The school never fails to surprise him, however, and this is one of those times. He circles the area three times before coming to a stop in front of Cas, who’s been watching him with a smile. 

It’s an unsaid agreement that the two of them are going to skip their next class, and they strip down to their undergarments and jump into the water right away. Cas locks the door with a flourish of his wand, and the two splash around with childlike glee for several minutes. 

Dean relaxes on a side of the pool, or bathtub, or whatever it is, and Cas does the same opposite of him. It’s silent as they just  _ look  _ at each other, and Dean can feel the tension mounting. He feels himself move closer and closer to his best friend, and suddenly he’s in front of him and they’re leaning in and they’re  _ literally  _ an inch away and stop. Dean breaths Cas in, and can feel his best friend’s own breathing on his face, and he shivers. Cas leans in even further and they’re a miniscule distance away from each other. Both of them have their eyes open, and Dean watches as Cas’ dilate even further, and gulps. Something’s going to happen. They’re literally a centimeter’s length away from kissing, and -

Then the door bangs open. Dean knows the moment is over between them even before Professor McGonagall deducts each of them 15 house points for skipping her class. 

(That being said, before she leaves she winks at Dean and says, “Be careful what you do, especially with who’s watching.”

Dean doesn’t mention it to Cas, and he hopes to God that his best friend didn’t hear her, because that would be an awkward conversation they most definitely would  _ never _ have.)

\--

Of course, they don’t talk about it. There’s a little awkwardness in the following days but before long, they get over it. Cas attempts to put the near kiss out of his mind and focus on his blossoming relationship with Meg, and before he knows it, it’s the Christmas feast and half the year is gone already. 

They’ve spent the majority of the last month and a half studying because these N.E.W.T. classes are much harder than anything else they’ve learned previously, and according to Dean, the name of the game is all nighters. Cas doesn’t participate in those because he values his sleep, but Dean can manage on four hours and coffee like nobody’s business, so that’s how they manage their workload and social life until Christmas break. 

Christmas break finds Cas away from Dean properly for the first time in almost eight months, and he finds himself listlessly walking around London, thinking about his best friend, in between visits to the planetarium and occasional nights out. It’s not the healthiest, he knows, but he just really cares about Dean, and apparently Cas’ idea of love and friendship is that there are no boundaries in place. But that’s beside the point. 

After three weeks away, he travels up to Blackpool and visits Dean and watches him work on his Impala for a few days, and he feels calmer than he has since they left Hogwarts. 

(After all, he’s starting to think that he and his best friend have a profound bond, with how much he needs to be around him at times, and he’s pretty sure Dean feels the same way, judging from how closely he grips him when he picks Cas up from the train station.)

\---

They go back to Hogwarts in January, and the day before Dean’s birthday is the first Quidditch match of the new year. 

And then Benny breaks up with him, right before the match begins. 

Dean doesn’t even feel crushed, just immense relief, and he automatically feels guilty. 

“I’m sorry, Benny -” he says, and Benny lays a hand on his arm, effectively stopping him from continuing. 

“Don’t feel bad,” Benny responds, with a gracious smile. “I just never stood a chance between you and that boy over there.” He cocks his head towards Cas, who’s sitting on the bleachers, his head buried in some ancient scripture he’s gotten himself hooked on at the moment. Dean smiles without realizing, and Benny continues, squeezing Dean’s shoulder. “Yeah. That’s why. You’re in love with him, and you know it. You two need to get your shit together, because everyone around you can see it.”

He leaves after that, and Dean sits down on the ground for a moment. He needs a minute to collect his thoughts. Because he  _ is _ still in love with Cas, isn’t he? He never even properly tried to get over Cas, because that’s not something he’s even capable of doing apparently. 

The two of them should be together. It’s always been written in the stars, from the ages of eleven to now, and beyond. 

However, Cas is with Meg, and he seems pretty happy, and Dean doesn’t want to fuck that up for him any more than he has in general, so he goes to play his Quidditch game and resolves to leave the introspective thoughts for later. 

This doesn’t work.

Gryffindor loses. 

They haven’t lost a game since Dean joined the team, and he knows it, and he’s shaken up. It must be visible, because Cas rushes to his side, and pulls him into a hug. 

“It’s okay, Dean. It happens to all of us.”

Dean feels tears growing in his eyes, and swallows to push them back down. “I let my team down.”

To top all of this off, Benny passes the two of them and glances meaningfully at Cas, and Dean actually feels a little angry, because he’s pretty sure he was thinking about Cas the entire time, and that didn’t help his performance. 

He calms down when Cas raises a palm to his left shoulder, effectively grounding him. 

“You did amazing. It’s okay. You did your best, and that’s what is important, not if you scored the highest or even won.”

Hearing this from his best friend makes him feel better, but he’s still near tears as Cas guides him off the field and to the dorms. 

\---

Dean’s extremely sad, almost depressed, over the next few days, and Cas skips several classes to get him to do things. It’s fine, he’s ahead of work anyway, but he’s desperately worried about his friend. 

This is fine until Valentine’s Day, which is the day that Meg breaks up with him. 

They’re in the hallway, about to head to the Great Hall, and Meg stops him in his tracks with, “We need to break up.”

“Why?” he asks, even though he knows the answer.

“You’re in love with Dean Winchester, Castiel. There’s nobody else for you, and literally everyone can see it except you two. Or maybe you two can, but you won’t admit that you both want to be together because that means risking or breaking down what you two have built the last five years.”

Cas is speechless, but Meg isn’t done.

“Little do you know, Castiel, but you wouldn’t be risking or anything. You’d be exploring every aspect that you two could be together, as well as building it even further because you two work  _ so  _ well together, nobody else stands a chance.”

With that, she walked ahead of him into the hall, and sat down with her Slytherin friends.

Cas doesn’t go to dinner that day, and he shuts himself in his room. 

He knows he isn’t as bad at failing as Dean is, but this was his first proper relationship, and he feels undoubtedly guilty for having feelings for someone else. Cas didn’t know it was so obvious that he’s been pining for Dean since forever, but the fact his ex girlfriend called him out on it  _ hurts _ . 

However, that guilty feeling soon passes. In between February and April there’s countless nights spent in the library together, and Cas can’t help but stare at the face of his best friend and the guy he’s in love with. 

(And has been in love with since the age of twelve.)

He sees Sam and Charlie often, and Cas resolves to talk to Dean’s little brother before Easter break, because it’s now March and life is hectic. The floppy haired fourth year is busy with Eileen, and Cas ends up making endless excuses so that he doesn’t have to do that.

It’s not like Charlie is giving him pointed looks whenever she sees Dean and him together, which means it’s a  _ lot  _ of looks because they share all their classes practically and are all good friends. 

Everything is  _ fine _ . 

(Everything was not fine.)

\---

They come back from Easter break refreshed and ready to finish the school year with their final exams, but Dean is still arguing with himself on whether he should tell Cas the truth about his feelings. 

It isn’t until he stumbles upon Cas wearing a cowboy hat one morning on a dare from one of his prefect friends that his world really comes crashing down around him. 

Because that is apparently a turn-on for him. It’s not even eight o’clock and Dean already has an erection growing in his pants that isn’t morning wood. 

Dean gulps and attempts to leave, or to take a detour (he really doesn’t know), but Cas notices him and waves him over. 

“Dean! Come on, let’s go to breakfast.”

Dean obliges, and attempts to control his dick, but Cas glances down for a minute, and turns bright red as he notices, and Dean wants to actually  _ die _ . Just, let him fall under the ground already. 

Jesus Christ, Cas looks hot. 

He manages to control himself by the time they get to the Great Hall, but the damage is done, and Cas falls over himself speaking for the rest of the morning. 

(He doesn’t take off the goddamn hat, though. Dean knew he’s a proud motherfucker, but this is definitely taking the cake.)

\---

Cas has known that Dean had been acting funny ever since Benny broke up with him, but his reaction to the cowboy hat is definitely new. 

When he glances down and sees his best friend at half mast, he gulps and forces the inappropriate thoughts out of his brain. Cas is determined to continue on like nothing had happened, but the two of them don’t make eye contact for most of the day.

(Cas’ masturbation material also grows, with now a vision of Dean fucking him while he wears a cowboy hat added to it.)

But, yeah, everything is  _ fine _ .

A few days later it’s early May, and the final Quidditch match of the season is with Slytherin against Gryffindor, because somehow even with a loss they manage to get into the final game. Any thoughts of cowboys are put out of both Cas’ (and Dean’s) minds, and Dean focuses on training his team to win, and Cas focuses on calming Dean down on the off moments that his anxiety peaks and he freaks out.

And this time, Gryffindor wins.

There’s a  _ lot  _ of drinking that night in celebration, and even Meg comes over to the Gryffindor common room. Things are rather normal for a party at Hogwarts, and mostly everyone is drinking. 

And of course this is the time everything changes. 

(Of course, the two of them get together in the least explosive way possible, when everything else they have done has been up and above. Because that’s them, isn’t it?)

Dean has a drink in him, and Cas does too, and the two of them end up in the corner of the room once again. This time there’s nobody and nothing to stop them as Dean leans over and just upright kisses Cas.

They kiss, languidly and with just the slightest slip of tongues before Cas backs away. He taps his best friend on the lips, and whispers, “Can we talk about this when we’re sober?”

Dean nods, fear darkening his green eyes, and Cas hurries to placate him. 

“It’s good. This is good. I just want us to have a proper talk. There’s too much at stake.” The alcohol has helped him loosen up enough to continue. “I don’t want to lose you. I care about you too much.”

The fear evaporates from Dean’s eyes, and he leans his head on Cas’ shoulder. 

Dean whispers, “I care about you too,” and Cas smiles.

Things will be good.

Maybe he didn’t have to be so scared after all.

\---

They talk it out in the morning, at exactly seven because Cas cannot wait, and Dean is undoubtedly happy he finally got the courage to kiss his best friend, because now he gets to kiss Cas some more. 

And things are really, really good.

They agree that they could have been doing this ever since fifth year or even before, because they both have loved each other for as long as they can remember, but Dean is just happy to have what he has now. 

He’s tired of living in the past, because Cas is his future.

(And that’s fucking scary, especially because he’s seventeen and just growing up, but somehow he  _ knows  _ that now that he has Cas, he’s never letting go of him, and Cas just as well as told him the same exact thing during their makeout session earlier that day.)

\---

The rest of the year is spent studying for finals, a lot of kissing, and a lot of sneaking around laughing. 

Dean doesn’t want to tell anyone else yet, and Cas knows as soon as they do, their friends are going to be all up in their business. 

(Plus the sneaking around is really fun.)

As a result, they go into the summer before their final year at Hogwarts kissing whenever they can in secret, with plans to go to France and visit Paris together for a few weeks in July and August, and Cas couldn’t be happier.

This is what he’s been missing out on, but it’s all worth it, all the heartache and pining, because now he has the real thing, and it’s better than anything that was “almost” the last five years.

Cas is the happiest he’s been in his entire life, and Dean assures him he feels the same, and things are just really, really, fucking good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter to go :) it's happiness from here on out. 
> 
> or is it?
> 
> after this fic is finished, i think i have a few more fics in me left and i'm really excited. it'll be done little by little over the next few months because break is over, but yeah. 
> 
> also i love that i indeed did not finish this fic by the end of break. so that's great.


	7. seventh year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's their seventh year, and they're finally together. and life is good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH IT'S THE END  
> I CAN'T BELIEVE IT
> 
> i'm so proud of myself, and these two idiots, for getting their shit together and living happily. 
> 
> also this may be a bit rushed, but it is what it is, and i'm utterly proud of it. 
> 
> peep the direct reference from s12 supernatural

Dean and Cas spend the summer before their final year at Hogwarts in Paris, the city of love, which is quite apt seeing as how the two of them literally almost never leave their hotel room. 

No, they don’t have sex, not quite yet, but it’s a lot of awkward fumbling with handjobs and blowjobs and it’s the best thing Dean has ever experienced. 

The thing is, none of their friends know. Dean told Bobby and Ellen, who promised to keep it a secret from Sam, but even Cas’ family doesn’t know. 

(Probably because all they would hear is, “Finally! Told you,” because they spent five years being idiots. But that's beside the point.)

And really, Dean is the happiest he’s ever been. He’s in love, and can express it through his actions (because he hasn’t mustered up the ability to say it yet), and he’s just  _ really fucking thankful _ . 

Life is good. 

\---

They get back to London in mid August and things are rather normal. They go one last time to Diagon Alley in September, and they’re pretending to be just friends. Charlie, Alice, Sam, Eileen, and Anna don’t seem to notice that anything had changed. 

It’s their final year, though, and nerves hit Cas like a ton of bricks, because this is _it_. This is the end of their journey in schooling unless they decide to go to graduate school, but they haven’t been properly trained in Muggle schooling aspects, so that’s most likely out of the question. That being said, Cas is just not ready to leave everyone yet. 

He’s on the train when he realizes that he’s spent the better of seven years with these people. Dean’s next to him, their shoulders and thighs touching, and Charlie is talking animatedly across from them. Anna is there with her girlfriend, and Sam with Eileen, and everyone is happy. 

And don’t get him wrong, Cas is also happy, he’s just worried about what life will be like after the next nine months at his safety net, Hogwarts. 

\---

Before they know it, they get bogged down with work, seeing as their N.E.W.T.s are coming up sooner rather than later. Dean’s back to training new recruits, and Cas is nominated to be Head Boy by Professor Hanscum, which is an honor in of itself. 

They still find the time to be with each other, and get caught at least four times in the first two weeks back, but they brush it off with excuses of doing homework and just falling asleep, and Charlie and Sam seem to accept these and laugh it off. 

The third Saturday they’re back, it’s Hogsmeade time, and Cas and Dean turn down plans with their friends to just go by themselves as a proper couple this time. They spend the day sitting in the corner of the Three Broomsticks, giggling and drinking butterbeer and talking about the Yule Ball. 

It’s overall a really wonderful day full of blissful romantic ignorance, and they never notice Charlie and Sam giggling at them through the window of the pub. 

\---

It’s not that Dean is expecting to have sex or anything, but it’s mid December and Cas keeps coming on to him, pushing them further and further (it’s always Cas who dictates what’s going to happen, because Dean could never hurt or disregard the love of his life’s wants). 

It’s after a really hard week of Quidditch practice, six to seven classes per day, and a tense talk with Sam about using protection that he loses his cool with his boyfriend, and he’s not proud of it. 

“Listen, I’m sorry Cas! I just don’t know what’s going on! One minute we’re  _ this  _ close to doing it, the next you back away like you’ve been shocked! Is it me? Is something wrong?”

Cas looks up at him, and his eyes are blurred with tears. “No, it’s not you, Dean. It isn’t. Don’t think it is please -”

Dean cuts him off. “Then what is it? We’ve been going so slow and I  _ know  _ that you like sex because we’ve talked about it at length! What’s wrong with you?”

Dean right away knows he fucked up, but Cas just sniffles even though his face tenses up, and Dean’s heart constricts. “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean it like that Cas-”

Cas just nods, but Dean can tell he’s angry. “You’re right. There is something wrong with me.” 

He gets up from where he’s been sitting on Dean’s bed, and moves to the door. “I’m going to go talk to Sam. I need to figure something out.”

Dean tries to grab his arm but Cas is too fast. “Cas, please, we can figure this out!” he pleads. 

Cas shakes his head. “I can’t talk to you right now. I can talk to Sam. What I like is that he’s sarcastic, but he’s thoughtful and appreciative too. He knows not to push me. And I know you do too, but I can’t do this right now.”

Dean feels like he’s been physically hit. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Cas looks apologetic. “I’m sorry. It slipped out. I gotta go.”

And he leaves.

And Dean is left with an empty room, his stomach in his throat, and tears falling down his cheeks.

\---

Cas knows he broke an unspoken rule when saying Sam is any way better than Dean, but the truth is, where Dean is rash and impulsive, Sam is quiet and calculative, and much more level-headed. 

Which is why when Cas tells Sam in a rush that he and his older brother are dating, they just had a huge fight, and Cas can’t seem to let himself have sex with the boy he loves, Sam snorts a little and hugs him.

“That’s perfectly normal. I was scared too, when I first had sex with Eileen. But the thing is, we are fearful of things we do not know and have no experience with, which is why Dean is so much more open to having sex than you are. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it just means you two have to have good communication before you two hit the next step.”

Cas is wiping his tears as he says, “I know you’re right. But I said some mean things to him, and left him crying, and I feel like he hates me now.”

Sam outright laughs this time. “Cas, please. Dean could never hate you. He loves you way too much for that even to be humanly, or wizardly, possible.”

Cas smiles through his tears, and Sam hugs him again.

“You two will be okay. And now I gotta get fifty galleons from Charlie because we’ve been betting when you two would tell us.”

\---

Dean and Cas make up the next day, and everything goes back to normal over the next few weeks, more or less. Cas is still hesitant, but he’s much more open about communicating it with Dean, and Dean himself is trying, too. 

They end up not really having the time to fool around as it gets closer to the day of the Yule Ball, especially because this means they’re almost halfway through the school year, and even closer to graduating than before. 

(Because yes, Dean, that’s how time works.)

When Dean sees Cas in his suit and dress robes, he’s speechless. The eighteen year-old has never looked more handsome, and Dean is the proudest he’s been of the fact he’s dating  _ him _ . 

He takes Cas’ hand, and they end up drinking and eating the night away. They dance with their friends, and laugh and just altogether enjoy one of their last  _ fun  _ moments before the real work hits of properly studying for their N.E.W.Ts.

\---

That’s what they do, really, after their Christmas break is over. Now that everyone knows about them, because once Charlie and Sam found out everyone else did too, life is much easier. They end up sleeping next to each other more often than not, and spend their nights studying together or Cas studies while he watches Dean help with Quidditch practice outside. 

And life is good. 

And their sex life evolves, rather quickly. Cas finds himself ready and tells Dean so on the night of his eighteenth birthday, and rather than party about the Gryffindor win in the common room, they spend the night holed up in bed, laughing and giggling and fumbling as they figure out how to work well together, and what gets who off, etc. 

It’s one of the best nights of Cas’ life by far, and he doesn’t regret waiting one bit.

Other than the added feature of sex, his life consists of his Head Boy duties, studying, helping out in the kitchen, and spending time with Dean. He knows what he wants, and studies the subjects he needs to, and enjoys it in the meantime, and he’s excited about the future to come.

The two of them never even discuss the possibility of breaking up, once. Even when they fight or argue occasionally, it’s always unsaid that they’d never go to bed angry and/or would eventually make up after one or both of them got their heads out of their asses. 

\---

They pass their N.E.W.Ts with flying colors, and get into the areas they wanted to, of course. After much stressing through breaks, having to almost ignore Valentine’s Day due to studying, and just managing everything, life is a breath of fresh air once they walk outside of the testing room. 

Their graduation is a big event, with their families coming from all over and they get their diplomas that show that they went through Hogwarts, as well as what job they successfully obtained that they would end up going to starting in the fall. It’s everything they’ve dreamt of, and not only that, they have each other too, now.

They end up going straight home after graduation, and drive up to Scotland for a little vacation, where all they essentially do is stay in bed and never go outside, kind of like how Paris was. 

But it’s good.

And life, as usual, is good. 

Neither of them could be happier. And they know that they’ve found each other and will never let go, and that’s what guides them through the rest of their lives. 

(They watch their younger siblings grow and mature, graduate within two years and also start their jobs, and they’re so fucking proud of them. Sam asks Eileen to marry him right out of school, and Anna and her girlfriend follow suit. Charlie follows after them, and it's weddings after weddings, where Dean and Cas hold each others' hands and smile gratefully that they have all their friends and family (mostly) intact.

-

Over the next couple years, they end up moving in together, and they get to fully develop their little quirks and habits that they find endearing about each other. 

Like the way Dean’s not fully  _ there _ before a cup of coffee, and afterwards Cas will hoist him up onto the counter and will kiss him softly, waking him up slowly but surely until the other reciprocates even more enthusiastically than he had been before.

Or the way, when they finally buy their own house together, Cas is putting up the curtains and ends up falling down, and Dean is right there to catch him. This is when everything fits together in his brain.

At the tender age of 23, Dean Winchester gets down onto one knee and asks the love of his life to marry him, and he gets a positive response. 

The two of them are married that spring, surrounded by their friends and family, and once they start adopting children, they go to Hogwarts as well, and they go through the ritual of seeing their children off on the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 and ¾. 

They only hope that things turn out as well for their children as it did for them, and you know what?

It really did.

Life is good, for the Winchesters.)

(Did they mention that life is good?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> admittedly this got quite americanized by the end, but i don't even care because i'm so happy that i finished this. 
> 
> love you all, thank you all for the unending support!
> 
> i'll be back with two new AU's within a couple of weeks hehe.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you all enjoyed. see you soon!
> 
> (follow me on twitter at @hscanyonm to hear me yell about how cute deancas is, how much angst they give me, and how much i would die for them.)


End file.
